Re: "Button Gravity" and "Warning Gravity"

[arroxaneullman -at- aol -dot- com]

 Yes, I've see "warning gravity" in documentation written by those who have insufficient Tech Comm training. Keeping related information (text, graphics, notes, warnings, tables, etc) with the part of the document or procedure to which it pertains is a mark of good writing--if not a requirement. Wherever possible, cautions and warnings should come before the relevant information. It's the next-best thing to someone standing over them saying, "Now wait a second before you do this and think about the consequences of doing this wrong." 

Arroxane


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Allison <maker -at- verizon -dot- net>
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Sent: Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:08 am
Subject: "Button Gravity" and "Warning Gravity"











Jared Spool talks about "Button Gravity" in user responses to web pages. 
If your web page has several segments, and each segment has its own 
buttons (like OK and Cancel), most users ignore the buttons in that 
segment and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to click 
the lowest button they can find. Then they're confused when they don't 
see the result of the operation they set up much higher on the web page.

Why do we tech writers suffer from some kind of Note! Gravity, Caution! 
Gravity, and Warning! Gravity? Very, very often when I inherit a 
document, I find the Notes, etc., at the end of the procedure to which 
they apply, sometimes far below the steps they concern. This is not so 
bad for notes and cautions, but warnings!

"The users who got electrocuted are going to be mad when they finally 
get to the warning!" That's what I always think!

Geez.

Do you see a lot of this?

--Nancy




 

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